Vehicle control device

Abstract

A vehicle control device includes a sensor configured to sense driving information of a vehicle, and a controller. The controller is configured to activate or deactivate a fuel conservation mode of the vehicle based on a user input, and restrict acceleration of an engine of the vehicle to be within a predetermined range based on an accelerator pedal of the vehicle being pressed with a force that is greater than a threshold force and based on the vehicle being in an activated state of the fuel conservation mode. The controller is also configured to, based on the driving information satisfying a first condition, release a restriction on the acceleration of the engine of the vehicle in the activated state of the fuel-conservation mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle control device, comprising:
 a sensor configured to sense driving information of a vehicle; and 
 a controller configured to: 
 activate or deactivate a fuel conservation mode of the vehicle based on a user input; 
 restrict acceleration of an engine of the vehicle to be within a predetermined range based on an accelerator pedal of the vehicle being pressed with a force that is greater than a threshold force and based on the vehicle being in an activated state of the fuel conservation mode; and 
 based on driving information satisfying a first condition, release a restriction on the acceleration of the engine of the vehicle in the activated state of the fuel-conservation mode, 
 wherein the controller is further configured to, based on the driving information having satisfied the first condition, subsequently restrict the acceleration of the engine based on the driving information not satisfying the preset condition in a state in which the accelerator pedal is pressed with the force greater than the threshold force in the activated state of the fuel conservation mode. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle control device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to activate or deactivate the fuel conservation mode based on the driving information, regardless of the user input. 
     
     
       3. The vehicle control device of  claim 2 , wherein a display is disposed in the vehicle, and
 the controller is further configured to: 
 control the display to output a graphic object indicating the activated state of the fuel conservation mode in a state in which the fuel conservation mode is activated, and 
 control the graphic object to disappear from the display based on the fuel conservation mode being deactivated. 
 
     
     
       4. The vehicle control device of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to deactivate the fuel conservation mode in a state in which the vehicle executes a lane change while the accelerator pedal is pressed with the force greater than the threshold force. 
     
     
       5. The vehicle control device of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in the state in which the vehicle executes the lane change while the accelerator pedal is pressed with the force greater than the threshold force, deactivate the fuel conservation mode based on a second vehicle being detected at a rear side of a new lane for the lane change within a predetermined distance, and based on a speed of the second vehicle being greater than a speed of the vehicle. 
     
     
       6. The vehicle control device of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 deactivate the fuel conservation mode based on the vehicle executing the lane change from a first lane to a second lane while the accelerator pedal is pressed with the force greater than the threshold force; and 
 activate the fuel conservation mode based on the vehicle executing a second lane change from the second lane to the first lane. 
 
     
     
       7. The vehicle control device of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the fuel conservation mode based on the accelerator pedal being pressed with the force greater than the threshold force in a state in which an inclination of an uphill portion of a road on which the vehicle is travelling is greater than a threshold inclination. 
     
     
       8. The vehicle control device of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the fuel conservation mode based on the accelerator pedal being pressed with the force greater than the threshold force based on a traffic light being detected within a predetermined distance in a driving direction of the vehicle, and the traffic light outputting at least one of a stop signal, a warning signal, or a proceed signal. 
     
     
       9. The vehicle control device of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the fuel conservation mode based on the accelerator pedal being pressed with the force greater than the threshold force in a stopped state of the vehicle. 
     
     
       10. The vehicle control device of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate the fuel conservation mode based on a second vehicle being sensed at a front side in a driving direction of the vehicle in a state in which the accelerator pedal is pressed with the force greater than the threshold force. 
     
     
       11. The vehicle control device of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 deactivate the fuel conservation mode based on a second vehicle being sensed at a rear side in a driving direction of the vehicle in a state in which the accelerator pedal is pressed with the force greater than the threshold force in a stopped state of the vehicle; and 
 maintain the fuel conservation mode based on the second vehicle not being sensed at the rear side in the driving direction of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       12. The vehicle control device of  claim 3 , wherein the driving information satisfying the first condition corresponds to a scenario in which an object is detected having a likelihood of colliding with the vehicle in a driving direction of the vehicle, and the vehicle executing a steering operation to evade the detected object. 
     
     
       13. The vehicle control device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense a weight of a load inside the vehicle, and
 wherein the controller is configured to change the threshold force based on the weight of the load inside the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       14. The vehicle control device of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 set the threshold force to a first threshold force based on the weight of the load inside the vehicle being smaller than a threshold weight; and 
 set the threshold force to a second threshold force greater than the first threshold force based on the weight of the load inside the vehicle being equal to or greater than the threshold weight. 
 
     
     
       15. A vehicle control device, comprising:
 a display disposed in a vehicle; and 
 a controller configured to: 
 control the display to output a graphic object indicating an activated state of a fuel conservation mode of the vehicle, based on the fuel conservation mode being activated and restricting acceleration of an engine of the vehicle; 
 control the display to output notification information indicating that an accelerator pedal of the vehicle is being pressed with a force greater than a threshold force, based on the accelerator pedal being pressed with the force greater than the threshold force in an activated state of the fuel conservation mode; and 
 deactivate the fuel conservation mode based on the accelerator pedal being pressed in a predetermined manner while the notification information is being output. 
 
     
     
       16. The vehicle control device of  claim 15 , wherein the predetermined manner in which the accelerator pedal is pressed corresponds to the accelerator pedal being pressed with a force greater than a force with which the accelerator pedal is pressed in the case of outputting the notification information. 
     
     
       17. The vehicle control device of  claim 16 , further comprising a sensor configured to sense driving information of the vehicle,
 wherein the controller is configured to maintain the fuel conservation mode based on the driving information satisfying a first condition, even if the accelerator pedal is pressed in the predetermined manner while the notification information is being output. 
 
     
     
       18. The vehicle control device of  claim 17 , wherein the driving information satisfying the predetermined condition corresponds to the vehicle exceeding a speed limit of a road on which the vehicle is travelling as the acceleration of the vehicle reaches a level corresponding to a pressurization degree of the accelerator pedal. 
     
     
       19. The vehicle control device of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to, subsequent to the fuel conservation mode being deactivated as the accelerator pedal is pressed in the predetermined manner, re-activate the fuel conservation mode based on the accelerator not being pressed or based on the accelerator pedal being pressed with a force that is less than the threshold force.